The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-09-23
SOCIAL %CUTTHR0ATS.
CHARACTERISTICS OF A COTeRle
or NEW YORK WASHERS.
Well Dressed D~estroyer- VINO hesp
Quiet About Their yillsiny-Ihe hasher
with the white ~Lock-Daily Round OF
"A Skiilfui Operator.

II vi n ANN ~ |NNN""
creatures Of a recent growth, and | doup'
very much if similar specimens oi the
genus man can be found anywhere else III
the world They are called Washers IN
a general way. but they are in no sense
like the gorgeous London man VINO mas
given the word masher' its highest mean
inc The British masher Is a creature
of noble apparel, solemn ana dlssipa'eu
air advanced degrees In the courts oil
bankruptcy and general impresslNehess'
He wears a great many SUITS oi clo'ne9
during the week, affects "A burlesque
,,.trsss and drives dashing traps.
Tho little circle VI Washers IN NeW
York has none Of these procliyities. Ihey
are men who have lived ON the surface OIL
the town for many years. whose names
IRE familiar in all Of the restaurants anu
clubs. and who have gained in one way
o. another regulations a slayefs Oh leHni
nine hearts. which stand them ln ehor
nous value. They are not IN society,
sheer at the idea Of toll. live IN the DesV
possible manner. dress quietly, are
| ab.olufoly mum about the numerous
affairs i'm which they pass their lives. !
know "a dozen men in this particular
crowd but I never knew one OF them To
break the rules OF the peculiar free
masonry which apparently exists among
them 10 keep quiet about their cscapades'
This is the most curious feature OF the
whole thing 4 masher who does not
talk when success has crowned ms elloI's
would be q rarity anywhere else except
I'm this extraordinary coterie. lhey are Il
queer lot. and ] can Z say that consider
them % credit 90 the city.
Il affords a droll study OF human
nature 10 watch the operations or the
Washers. Most Of their faces are as
familiar to mp town people as the fiith
Aveuue hotel. Their mode of life Is SIM
ME Take. for instance, a cold and austere
man with "A blonde mustache, a regular
nrofle square shoulders and careless car
ria0e who has been more or less famous
ab,uf town for fifteen years. He has a
scar running "diagOnally across his fore
head and lust above 10 D. q single lock OF
".nla-h" of hair that Is as white as
snow. though the rest of his hair Is dark.
have heard 10 enviably remarked by
other ma-her- that this gentleman chief
success is due 10 the immohillty oil MS
face. the ycll0wness of his mustache' the
whitenc-~ of she splash aud the dark mass
of hair which throws 10 into such sharp
relief he H.. iu fact. known as Ills
Contrasts iu some quarters. THteen
wear. MO "a woman followed him in q can
down Fifth avenue. slipped out as no
assembled the steps of "a rival
hou,e. ran mp the steps, and pushing "a
revolver against his head, hlazed away
The bullet. instead Of going through the
skulL. ran across the forehead She went
I'm Furope i'm the arms of her amiable
Lusbaud md Ills Contrasts retired
into painful Obscurity for "a time rive
wears after that he was mixed up 10 a
row which is still talked about by old
timers. II WAS "a three cernered light
one woman and two men-in the cabin Of
"a yacht in the lower bay. When they
DRAGGED Ills Contrasts out he was
pretty well knocked TO pieces. Two ribs
were broken. and his general physical
welfare very sensibly impaired. but he
came up smiling. as usual. have known
him for many years. lie ha, but u
object in life.
His manner of living varies little from
dav 10 daN. have had many opportunl-
ties for observing him. as we once had
neighD0ring apartments I'm the same hoteif
and he used To must himself when he
had an occasional hall hour of leisure
from mi, arduou. duties boy turning the
picture. ina my room wrong side foremost.
bribing the chambermaid 90 sew the
bannines into all sorts of gr0tesque posi-
tion.. littering my desk with violent tele-
grams and indulging in various other
cheerful and endea1ing pranks. Al ~
O'Clock every morning the chambermad
pounded loudly at his door.
II the tattoo was loud enough the door
would open suddenly. there would be "a
wild scream and q patteriug of feet as the
/ %chambermaid scudded ont of danger, u
the mashcr would rush ont into the hall
/ clad ian paiamus. bath robes. nightcap, felt
/ slippers. and carrying "a sponge the size OF
n bnshel basket. lie would then wander
i'm a more on les, desultOry way toward the
bathroom. stopping 20 pound ON doors that
caught his lightsome fancy, and shylng
boots through the transoms Of rooms
where men lived who had the distinguished
misfortune 10 posses, his friendship.
About an hour and a half later he
would wander into the main dining room
| Of the hotel. cast his experienced eye over
the people assembled there and eat a very
| light breakfast. He wore "A frOck suit all
day long. and his tailor made half a dozen
a vemr for him. After breakfast he in
variably lighted a big cigar, and, If the
weather was clear, strolled up Fifth
avenue as far as Central park, and smiled
amiably uuon the troops of pretty girls
who were oui with their governessses,
nurses. companions, and chaperones, tax
ing the morning air. Every girl over I'D
/ wear. of age apparently knew his history,
/ for the, would stare at him aud peep
over tnc.r shoulders rs he passed, in a
fashion that would startlc q society actor
A. half past ] or , o'clock he driited
slowly into Dclmonico's, scanned the
faces. acknowledged the surly mods OF
/ other MASTERS with a short inclination OF
his head. picked ont his table with undeyi-
aiius skin. and spent the next two or
three hours among the wives and daugh-
ters of other men who were down town
purSuine the elusive dollar. His habit is
10 eat slowly. and look, with "A gentle aud
melancholy air, from one pair OF pretty
eycs 90 another.
II the portraits Of the handful Of men
who are "A constant subject of talk among
the women of New York were published
tbav v,ifd cau.e "A robust and decisive